Insect catcher



A,` BRIGDEN. INSECT CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I0 1921. A

A. BHIGDEN.

INSECT CATCHER. APPLlcAxoN'FILED :um: 1o. 1921.

1,414,068. Patented Alu-.25,1922

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- QVIQCHYOZ Arthur Eriadan..

side Ypipes l'which arezcrossconnectedat Y' sect Catchers, ofwhich ytheL following is ar Y l and especially designed for free lateral andIV longitudinal angularplay to enable the ma`l chinev to accommodate itself easily and ,effecposition.

Ammin BRIGDEN, YorisIRM11\reir a;ly. c, Amarina.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BRIeDnN, a citizen ofthe United States of Amer1ca,re siding at Birmingham, in Athe'fcounty of JeffersonV and Stateof- Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inspecification.l

This invention-relates to an insect catch-A ing machine adapted toftravel on two wheels tively in working an irregular row of plants.

One importantfeature of my invention is.V

the simple and effective means devised for the -relative adjustment of the troughs which catch the insects that are shaken or dislodged from the plants overwhich the apparatus is moved. Y f y A.' further feature of my invention isto simplify and perfect the meansrfor converting the machine for treating plants d1fferent stages of theirgrowth. r r

. The variousnovel features of my con-T struction andtheiradvantages will be better understood vby reference to the detailed description which follows and to the claims appended thereto, reference being had to Vthe accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention only in its preferred' embodiment, andfin which v Figfl is aside `elevation of ymy machine with one trough partly brokenl away.` Fig. 2 is a plan `view of the machine vshowing the diagonalcurtains plan and the lingers moved' out of operative position.

Fig. 3 is-afront 'elevation of the machine showing-the Ytroughs in .section on the line SW3 ofl Fig. 2, withtheiingers in operative ltaken on theline-t'fof'F ig. 1.

view of oneof the 'diagonal lower curtains VitsbraCket supports- AV Figf isafdetai-l viewfshowiug the swiv- Fig. 8 is-v a longitudinal sectional/view takencon-the line .SQ-'Bof Fig.' 7. j fjSim'lar, reference numerals refer simil'ar. parts.throughout the drawing My invention as illustrated comprises -a main frame formed .by spaced longitudinal Application medirn@ 10,1921. serialnajlivenm.

an enlarged detail sectional view'-v INsEcT carolina.

their centers vand between the center* and,

` 4Specification of Ltteirslatent. Pjgntedi Api', 25,v

each end by, cross bars 2, the ends ofvwhich f arebolted tothe pipes;y f The middle cross thecenter of itsk underfbar 'has attached' to face a's'wivel ybraol'ret swivel pinecv by which the :frame is suspendedby a U- shaped clip 5 whChStraddles thej center of @bent axle frame 6.. Thisfaxle',

, 1 55. angles toits top portion Gandthen" bent frame has Vits .5sid es .7 bentdown at. right outwardly at 8, to receivethe axles 9 upon which the Vwheels 10 are journale Y On each end vof eachpipe 1` I s c rew a projects suiiicieiitlypipe y1 .to permit aA crossgpin 12 to b'e"inserted thereth'rou'gh'j threadeds'leeve 11 which beyondl the end ofthe which .receives 'a' Y eyond the Vpipe 1y and this pin is utilized to `mount thefrontand rear trough supp porty bars '13 and 14,. respectively, von the frame.v f Both bars-'13 and 14 have their" lower yendsbent .inwardly on a curve at 1 5 g and COlfOllll 6.0 the curve of. thetrough 16 i which receives such curve-d endl and'is sutablyattached thereto. The forward ends 17 `of thel troughs aremade conical tov better guidethe machine astride Athe row of plantsv and preventV thel troughs digging intothe Y ground if tilted toofar `forward@ The upper ends of these Vbars 13 and 14' extend upwardly above the pipe f sleeves z 1l and each-opposite pair is crossV connected at their upper ends by ascrewfbolt 18 havingboth ends threaded so that vby the use of a pairvof nuts on each end of the bolt the bars 13' and 114.T canbe drawn Vtogether or spread apart kat theirupper ends'iand in doing so they `are causedto swivel by the turning of the sleeves lll on'ithe pipey .1"and thus to swing vthe troughstogether orjfarther apart accordingftothe adjustment desired. The:

adjacent bars 13v and la on thesame sideof the machine arev connected near their lower ends by side;barsf19f and'suitable handlef bars 20a1e'provided with their lower ends attachedto the rear side bars 14byf boltsV 12 which attach Vsaid vbars to 'the sleevell.

races 25 serve to zuiljustably..connectthe handles tollthe uppeiendslofV bars 14 and permit, bythe provisionofrextra boltxholes handle bars', the desired4 in the. braces` and vertical adjustment of the V handles` i The by means of which the yoke may lloe ate yoke 5 which s traddles thevaXle frame' is provided Awith a series. ofbolt holes therein a bearing 22 mounted on the center of the top of the axle 6. l attach to saidbars 19 at their centers a guide yoke 23 which receives the down turned ends 7 of the axle free to play laterally thereinbut confined Yagainstmoving, entirely out of the yokes,

' tain a body of suitableliquid 26 which will kill the insects that fall thereinto when dislodged from the plant bent over 'andl by means which will now be described'. n

The inner ends' of the rear bolts 12 (see Fig. i)"are used to attach brackets 25a to pipes 1' and each bracket isv perforated so that the ends of a coil spring 26a may be attached' thereto. from side to Vside across the frame at its rear end and serves. to support the upper ends of rear curtains .27 which near their lower ends are' provided with 'transverse pockets to receive coil springs V28 which are suitably attached. to brackets 23a bolted tov the side bars' 14 and: extend' inwardly to but not beyond the innerjedge of the curtains and thus serve to yieldingly holdthe lower ends of the curtains toV their work while the spring 26a' will yield to permitv the curtains tto (work back and forth in passing kthe plants. The inner edges ofthe troughs are down to form inwardly overhanging lips 16a which prevent the splashing out ofthe liquid in the troughs.

Vilhen theA machine is to be used for small cotton 'l attach to the double bracket 29, which is itself made fast'to the center of one side bar 19", the inner ends of coil springs 30 upon each pair of which is stretched a curtain 31. The springs 30 at the forward end of the machine extend diagonally across andy connect to an attachment Lplate 32 bolted, to a forward bar 13 while the springs for the rear diagonal curtain are connected to a similar attachment plate 32 carried by a bar 14, rihe two curtains 31 are thus supported and arranged in opposite diagonal directions across the lower part of the machine. These curtains yieldingly engage the small plants,` brushing them first over one trough andA then over the other and dislodging` all insects thereof into the troughs. As the plant grows larger the curtains are removed by detaching their ends from the plates 32 andbracket 29 and' the shaker lingers. are then, employed. lThese lingers which are. shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8 are composedA of a vforward plant engaging strip of leather, linoleum, or likeflexible material 33 backcd'by'a steel Vspring plate 34, the strip andrplarte being connected at theirouter ends byabolt 35 which is free to work inan elongated slot 36' in the steel plate so as'to'permit free flexing ofthecomare semi-circular rlhis coil spring 'extends' posite fingers which at their inner ends are connected by a single bolt 37 to an upright spring steel bar 38, which bar at its upper end istbent over and is connected by a bolt 39 to the top of a cross bar 2 while its lower endis` left free to lyield lengthwise of the machine. I provide four of these bars 38 and l arrange them in transverse pairs having the lingers of each transverse pair relatively staggered' and also having the ngers of the pair on. the same side of the machine relatively staggered so v all parts of the plant and effectively shake it. 1f desired these fingers can be swung up outl of operative .pfositi'om as shownin Fig. 2, 'while the lower curtains 31are used,Y or by taking out the bolts 39 the finger' frames can be n entirely removed from the machine and replaced whenneeded.l Screen wire sides Ll0 have their lower ends inserted,

under 'the' outer trough ledges and are held in place by attachment to the ba-rs13 and 14 and by the side bars 19'.

One of the chief advantages of attaching the; iingers is that they can be vertically ad- Yjusted' into and out of operating position so tiat where lit is desired' to use both the bottomv curtains 31 and the iingers this can be done. by turning up the lower fingers out of operating' position, leaving the bottom diagonal curtains to display the plants later-l ally while' the upper lingers that :are left in operative position stri-ke and shake the upper branchesof the plants. A special advantage of this arrangement is that as the plant timbers fly back to position when releasedl by the' bottom spring mounted curtains, theyy will strike the fingers and be more effectively cleaned than where permitted to swing free4 on the return. i.

ln operation., the handles. 20- are grasped and themachineis pushed by hand withfthe lwheels V10 straddling thel row of plants. Thev frame is free forV angular adjustment vertically on a transverse axis by rocking the axle 6 about the wheel journals 9and.r the frame is also free for lateral swinging by the swivelling of its center suspension yoke 5 on the swivel bolts 4l and 21. The curtains 31'v and k27 will yieldingly engage the plant' limbs and will brush the insects thereonv into Y Y the trougl'is. VVhere'the lingers are used the back curtains will prevent theinsects being knocked out of the rearfend ofthe machine i as the limbs spring pastthe yielding fingers andfingeribars. `To swing the troughs to'- gether or apart 1t is only necessary to. adjust the nuts on the bolts 18 to obtain the desired width. y A n y No claim is made herein to the4 details of the` spring shaker means 'for dislodging the insects from the san'ie,`A in view offdivisi'onal requirements, forming the subject matter of my pending application, Serial No 845490, filedv the 13th dayiofdu'ly, v1921. 7 Y

. necting the upper ends of said arms, and

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire ters Patent, is zl. An insect catcher comprising an arched axle having side Wheel supports, a frame swung from the center ofthe axle and having lateral guidek yokes which straddle the sides of the axle, insect dislodging and collecting mechanisms carried by the frame, and means attached to the frame for guidingthe catcher.

2. An insect catcher comprising an axle having its sides bent down at right angles to its top, wheels mounted at the base of said sides, a swivel pin mounted crosswise of the center of the top of the axle, a frame work vsuspended by said pin free to swing laterally between the axle sides, handles attached to the frame to rock it angularly about the Wheel axis, laterally elongated Vyoke guides on the sides of the frame to loosely engage the lower ends of the sides of the axle, re-V movable cross members mounted in and serving -to close the outer ends guides, and means carried 4by the frame for the dislodging and collecting of insects.

3. In an insect catcher, frame, bottom troughs, vertical trough supporting arms mounted to rock laterally on the frame, transverse tie members connecting said arms and having means to contract or spread apart their lower ends for relative adjustment of the troughs,and means to dislodge insects from plants passing between the troughs. Y f

4. In an insect catcher, an arched wheel supported axle, al frame supported by the axle, vertical front and rear side bars pivotally mounted at an intermediate point on the iframe, troughs supported by the lower ends of said arms, cross bolts adjustably conmeans for dislodging insects from the plants passing between the troughs.

5. In an insect catcher, atrame comprising longitudinal top side members,a sleeve screwed at-each end on said members and projecting beyond the ends 'of the same, ver- -V tical' trough supporting bars, each connected"A to an overhung end of a sleeve, means to to secure by Let.

of said yoke a wheel supported 4on the ends of the pipes and supported frame comprising longitudinal top side pipes threaded at theirends, elongated sleeves, screwed' on and-adapted to overhang the ends of saidppipes, vertical bars bolted through the overhung ends of said sleeves and having their lower ends curved tov form a trough support, the `bars on each side out the frame forming a trough support, a trough mounted on each side of the frame in its said respective support, and A theA upper ends means to adjustably connect of transversely opposite bars.

An insect catcher comprising a Wheel supported frame composed of longitudinal cross connected top members, vertical vfront and rear end members swivelly connected to" each top member,v troughs adjustably supported by the lowerv ends of the lvertical members, tie bolts connecting the top ends of said vertical members and adapted to adjust the troughsrelatively laterally, a handle attached to therear -end of said top frame,

and plant shaking mechanisms interposedrin the frame, above the troughs. Y f

8. An insect catcher comprising an arched wheelsupported axle, a frame work suspended centrally therefrom free for lateral play, guides lon the frame work to restrain it from swinging relatively to theaxle in a longitudinal plane, said framework comprising a top trame composed of said pipes,v and cross bars connecting the` pipes, sleeves screwed projecting beyond the same, vertical front and rear' bars attached to said sleeves and adapted t'oturn therewith to swing laterally about the pipe, troughs mounted on the lower ends of said vertical bars, and tie bo'ltsadjustablyv conf necting the upper ends ofisaid arms above the top frame. Y 4 y u In testimony whereof I afx my signature.k v ARTHURBRIGDEN; :Witness: l

Noi/rm WELCH.

` 55 6. An insect catcher comprisinga wheel 

